Automatic refrigeration



June 2, 1931. J 3, DE REMER 1,807,774-

AUTOMATIC REFRIGERATION Filed June 8, 1926 f INVENTOR ZJWfifiOR? Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE JAY DE REMER, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS$IGNMENTS, TO J. G. DEREMER RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, .A

OORI'ORATION OF NEW JERSEY AUTOMATIC nnrmennarron Application filed June-8, 1926. Serial No. 114,440.

The object of theinvention is to improve the {general efficiency of refrigerating machines by providing them with means for accommodating their capacity to external temperature conditions and otherwise as hereinelow more fully explained. The invention is capable of application to various types of compression refrigeration systems-and, while it is quite independent of the kind of com- 10 pressor used, is herein exemplified in connection with a system using the particular type of rotary or gyratory compressor shown in Reissue Patent No. 15,590.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation, 15 partly in sectionof a refrigerator compartment containing such a compressor other partsof the system being indicated partly in diagram.

Fig. 2 a. larger scale of the thermal control 29 mechanism thereof;

Fig. 3 a different mechanism, and

Fig. 4: a top plan.

Referring to'Fig. 1, the compressor proper 25 is marked 1 and is carried at an inclination in upper andlower journal-bearings 2, on a counter-balancedframe 3 which rotates about a vertical axis on the fixed pedestal 4, the latter being secured to a proper base, as for instance, the floor of a compartment in a household refrigerator, or the like. The compressor contains a quantity of mercury so organized therein, according to the principles explained in'the prior .patent, that it acts 35 as a compressor when revolved by the frame 3. Its intake and delivery passages are contained inside the stem 5 which extends to or toward the point of convergence of the compressor axis with the axis of the rotary frame,

elevation of the same where they are connected, respectively, with the inner ends of flexible spiral tubes 6 and 7, which by their flexure, accommodate the yratory motion of the compressor and thus form glandlessconnections with the rest of the system which is stationary. Their outermost spirals are rigidly held in fixed clamps represented in dotted lines at 8 in Fig. 1. The delivery or high pressure passage of the comressor is connected through spiral 7 to the Exed condenser coil 9, and the condenser is connected to the evaporator which is represented at 10 and will be understood to be placed in the space to be kept cool or in a brine circuit or otherwise. Expanded or vaporized refrigerant discharges from the vaporizer into the low pressure spiral 6 thr: gh which it returns to the compressor. The usual appurtenances of compression systems will be understood to be present, without referring to them. For compactness, the spirals are placed one above the other, but they may be in the same plane if desired and the condenser is coiled around the other parts and within the refrigerator compartment.

In the present case the compressor is driven by a friction Wheel or ring 11 mounted on frame 3 around the stem of the compressor. The ring is driven by a friction pinion 12 fixed on the armature shaft of an electric motor and supporting the weight of one end of the motor.

The motor is secured to a platform 13, which'is hinged to a support 14, which thus carries the other end. This support is itself carried by one or more steel rods or elastic coils 15 fixed in a wide lever 16 fulcrumed in the ears 17 which are fixed to 'a side wall of the compartment or to some other suitable support.

The line'of centers of the motor hinge axis at the supports 14 and the pivotal axis at the lugs 17 is so nearly vertical that the weight of the motor exerts little tendency to rock the lever and the movement of the lever will thus easily move the friction pinion 12 toward or from the axis of the friction wheel, varying the drive-relation and speed of rotation of the compressor accordingly. The lever is held in a normallycorrect position, and between appropriate limit stops (not shown) by its pivotal connection 18 with a yoke 19, which latter is subject to movement by or in accordance with the contraction and expansion of an automatic controller such as the thermostat 20 shown as of the familiar sylphon or bellows type, although any other type might be used. This sylphon thrusts at its upper end againstthe top cross bar of a fixed yoke 21 and at its lower end upon the bottom cross bar of the movable yoke 19,

so that its expansion rocks the lever 16 in the direction to increase the speed of the compressor. The thermostat pressure is balanced by a spring 22 adjustably seated on the bottom cross-bar of the fixed yoke 21, and a U-shaped steady link 23, pivoted to the fixed yoke 21, holds the bottom of the movable yoke 19 against lateral displacement. By adjustment of the seat nuts 24 the balancing spring 22 can be varied to set the friction pinion 12 in any desired position for any given temperature of the thermostat 20.

- heat from the condenser 9, so that the compressor speed will be suited at the normal or' prevailing temperature, to these conditions and so as to produce a maximum refrigerating efiiciency with reference to the power consumed. When the temperature condi- ,tions change, as for example, the change from winter to summer, the speedof the compressor is also changed, thus increasing its capacity to correspond to the increased work to be done. This change can be made manually, if desired, and in accordance with this invention, by the use of any suitable means for changing the radial distance of the friction pinion from the axis of the friction Wheel, or it can be accomplished automatically as by the thermal means which have already been described, or by equivalent means producing the same effect. Thus, on an increasing air temperature, affecting the condenser, which requires more work to be done by the compressor to produce the same refrigerating effect, the expanding thermostat depresses yoke 19 and thereby shifts the drive pinion inward so as to increase the compressor speed; on a reverse change the shrinking of the thermostat allows the spring 22 to move the pinion in the opposite direction with the opposite effect. By this means the invention realizes a particular economy inasmuch as the higher speed operation of the compressor, which is generally less efficient in point of power consumption, occurs only when, and for as long as, the higher atmospheric temperatures prevail. The apparatus can thus be designed for the maximum economy for average conditions but will nevertheless be adequate to meet extreme weather conditions. It will be apparent to those skilled in this art that the thermostat can be made effective for controlling the speed of the compressor in any one of many diiferent ways, without departing from the principle of the invention, which has now been sufliciently explained. In any application of a thermostat to this end, it will of course be desirable, but by no means essential, that the load on the thermostat will be as slight as possible, as in the present case, so as not to impair its sensibility. For aircooled systems it is sufiicient if the thermostat is located in the compressor and condenser compartment but its particular location is not important so long as it is placed where it experiences the heat changes for which accommodation is desired. The coiled support springs 15 accommodate the drive reaction on the motor, in which function they are effective regardless of the thermal control and they also serve to absorb shock and noise as will be evident.

Claims:

1. A refrigerating system comprising in combination an evaporator arranged in heat exchanging relation to the compartment to be cooled, a condenser, a compressor, a motor for driving the same and thermostatic means responsive to conditions outside said compartment for varying the capacity of the compressor.

2. A refrigerating system comprising in combination an evaporator arranged in heat exchanging relation to'the compartment to be cooled, a condenser, a compressor, a motor for driving the same and thermostatic means responsive to conditions outside said compartment for varying the speed of the compressor.

3. A refrigerating system comprising in combination an evaporator arranged in heat exchanging relation to the compartment to be cooled, a condenser, a variable'speed compressor, a constant speed motor, variable drive connections between the motor and the compressor and thermostatic means responsive to conditions outside said compartment for adjusting said drive connections, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JAY G. DE REMER. 

